DM will not test A-10 alternatives

Air Force Light Attack tests move to New Mexico

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Embraer/Sierra Nevada A-29 Super Tucano

U.S. Air Force

Embraer/Sierra Nevada A-29 Super Tucano

U.S. Air Force

Textron/Beechcraft AT-6 Wolverine

U.S. Air Force

Copyright 2018 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

TUCSON, Ariz - Tucson's Davis-Monthan Air Force Base was preparing to help test small prop planes as possible alternatives for A-10s but now the testing will happen in New Mexico instead.

Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson announced the change Tuesday.

We've decided to move the execution of Phase II of #LightAttack Experiment planned for May from @DMAFB back to @HollomanAFB. The test team can now leverage continuity of effort, familiarity of location, resources, & sortie generation capabilities +experience gained during Phase I pic.twitter.com/bMSL0FYtGO

The Air Force has been considering the A-29 Super Tucano (too-CONN-oh) and the AT-6 for ground attack in battlefields where enemy troops are unlikely to have sophisticated anti-aircraft defenses. The A-29 Super Tucano was designed by a Brazilian company. The U-S has supplied A-29s to the Afghanistan Air Force.

The AT-6 is a variation of a training plane Beechcraft already makes for the Air Force and Navy.

The Air Force was planning to test the two planes at Davis-Monthan this May. Now it's decided to hold the tests at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico where it ran an earlier series of tests last year.

Copyright 2018 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.